The Winnipeg Jets aren’t just discouraging fans from wearing helmets to tomorrow night’s game against Chicago, the team is going one step further.

It’s banning helmets altogether.

“Regrettably if you show up with a helmet tomorrow night, you’re not going to be allowed to bring it in with you,” Jets co-owner Mark Chipman said at a hastily called news conference Wednesday afternoon. “We’re just not going to permit it tomorrow night.”

The ban is aimed at a fan movement to have people wear helmets after what happened the last time these teams met, when a fan ripped the helmet off Jets defenceman Adam Pardy after he was knocked through the glass at the United Center in Chicago, Nov. 6.

The movement was actually begun by local radio host Dave Wheeler, who works for the Jets, part-time, as an announcer during games.

Wheeler has been promoting the idea on the radio and through his Twitter account.

"Nov. 21 at MTS Centre vs. #Blackhawks is officially #HelmetNight. Show the Hawks fans that we don't need to steal helmets, we have our own!" Wheeler tweeted, dubbing it a Helmet Pardy.

“We became aware this week as we monitored the situation that this possibility was becoming real,” Chipman said. “It was important to communicate to our fans that this is not, or whatever was planned, is not official. It didn’t come from us. And it’s something we would strongly urge people to not do. It reflects very poorly on the entire situation.”

Chipman says safety was not the Jets main concern. Rather, he says the response wouldn’t match the professionalism Pardy, the Blackhawks and the NHL showed after the incident.

Pardy, who also had a beer poured on his head, didn’t react, while the Blackhawks and the fan responsible have apologized.

“It would seem really almost absurd for us to participate in something that brought us down to the base act that caused all this,” Chipman said. “It’s really unfortunate by the way, that I’m actually standing here having to do this. But we live in a world of social media where things like this can gain momentum very quickly.

“I just don’t think it’s appropriate to rub people’s noses in it or to in any way participate in something that would promote the initial error that occured.”

Chipman expressed hope fans would understand. The team is even asking those who normally wear helmets to games to leave them at home this time.

The Jets didn’t allow media to ask players about the issue after practice, today, instead holding the impromptu news conference with Chipman.

The security clampdown brings to mind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ policy to ban beer snakes — fans stacking long lines of empty beer cups together — at home games two seasons ago.

The Bombers were roundly criticized for what people called heavy-handed security.

Helmet Party kiboshed; fans will have lids confiscated, True North says

The Jets won't allow people to bring their helmets to MTS Centre Thursday to mock a Blackhawks fan.

In a release, chairman of the Jets Hockey Club, said the Jets "in no way endorse this idea" and will not permit fans to wear helmets to the game."

The Chicago Blackhawks organization, for whom we hold a great deal of respect, conducted themselves with the highest degree of professionalism in the wake of the unfortunate incident on November 6th," Chipman said.

The Jets immediately received apologies from Blackhawks president Stan Bowman and the Chicago fan who stole Pardy's helmet after the Jet crashed through the boards.

"He is extremely remorseful and has made an unnecessary yet very meaningful donation to the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation," Chipman said.

Chipman said the decision to disavow what was called the #HelmetParty was made for the sake of professionalism.